bgwfreak Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I don't think this has ever been discussed. I was just curious what everyone thinks. Back in the 70's a lot of parks had trains, skrides and some even had monorails. Why do you think most of them have pulled them from their parks? The sky rides or sky buckets are understandable. They probably are high on insurance and maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoshiFan Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I think it's because they were originally designed to take you from one point in the park to another and not just be a full circuit ride like most are now. With the way parks have expanded, they probably figure it isn't worth the upkeep of such rides. Dorney for example still has both their train rides but they are run differently than originally intended. The larger Cedar Creek Cannonball used to take you to Wildwater Kingdom and it wasn't a round trip. When Talon was built, they got rid of a lot of track and now it doesn't go to Wildwater Kingdom is a round trip. With the Zephyr, there used to be a stop at Tot Spot but now that they downsized that area of the park, that station was closed and it too is a round trip. I think a train ride should be in every park. It's the perfect kind of ride anyone can enjoy regardless of age or medical condition. Unfortunately, it seems like this trend is continuning but more with log flumes and antique cars being next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECZenith Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 With the weight problem in this country I've seen this as a great thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Sky rides are almost always an age and equipment issue. I know that's why Hershey got rid of theirs, as the ride was old and was costing them more and more to keep it running. I'm sure insurance is another reason, as I can only imagine that it costs a great deal more to insure a ride like this than it did 20 years ago. Monorails probably also have the same cost/age issues associated with them. I always thought it would be a good idea to expand the monorail system at WDW, though. It would be better than the bus system... dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 In the case of Disney's skyrides, I understand that the decision to remove them had to do with staffing and accounting--that is, the rides required too many CMs based on the number of guests per hour. This was the same rationale used for closing the Subs a few years ago. But I'm not an accountant or an MBA, so take my post for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Concerning skyrides, does anyone know what the lifespan of the cables is, and what they cost to replace? As far as the Disney monorail system goes, they've talked about expanding that for years, yet building a 100 million dollar death machine is far more important than improving the transportation system. Honestly, considering the complexity of the "world" in which they operate, the bus system is highly effective and efficient IMHO. With that said, they certainly need to consider linking MGM, AK, and several outer band hotels to the loop. If memory serves me correctly, the current length of the track is around 14 miles long. When I asked a monorail driver several years ago, the cost to build new track was estimated around 1 million per mile. Now I ask you, unless a 5th gate was secretly in the works or something, why wouldn't they take measures to expand that rail system for maybe even a 1/3 of what it cost to build EE or MS? Seems logical to me, but I guess that's maybe why I'm sitting here typing this rather than occupying a corner office somewhere with a view of the park. Who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgwfreak Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 With them charging $67 a ticket, they should at least dump some of that money into adding onto the monorail line. Only makes sense. It's not like it uses a lot of money. Only electricity. Seems like with gas as high as it is they would want to reduce the amount of gas they buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUSHIE Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 They can't expand the monorail because the monorail is one of Walt's ideas. Therefor we can expect the whole system to be torn down in a few years and replaced with something more "thrilling." Like "Rocket Rod Monorail" or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ^ Excellent point. However, it will not be "rocket rod monorail." You forget, their newest Pixar moneymaker "Cars" will need to have it's own ride soon. So what better opportunity than theming the monorail's replacement to yet another assembly line Pixar film? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ^ Don't be silly Beemer, they're going to rehab the Tomorrowland Speedway for "Cars." (This actually has been an ongoing rumor) I believe that 1 million dollar estimate per mile of track was for back in the 70's. Can you imagine what it would cost now? As for the sky rides, cfc is on the mark. Staffing, upkeep and insurance killed them. Mostly insurance (damn my evil employers! ). One two many people trying to tip or jump out of those buckets, and insurance companies start putting the squeeze on ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaparri Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Skyrides aren't always that reliable either. It doesn't take a great deal of wind to shut them down for safety measures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECZenith Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Actually DLP had plans for a Cars ride even WAY before the movie came out. It's mandatory for all pixar movies to have a ride now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okinawaboy11 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Sky rides are almost always an age and equipment issue. I know that's why Hershey got rid of theirs, as the ride was old and was costing them more and more to keep it running. I'm sure insurance is another reason, as I can only imagine that it costs a great deal more to insure a ride like this than it did 20 years ago. Monorails probably also have the same cost/age issues associated with them. I always thought it would be a good idea to expand the monorail system at WDW, though. It would be better than the bus system... dt Hershey still has the Sky Ride, it just does one circuit, out and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgwfreak Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 The funny thing about Lake Winnie's is there's is an out-and-back as well over the lake. So if you fell you would only fall about 50ft into the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Hershey still has the Sky Ride, it just does one circuit, out and back. Yes, but their giant sky ride (the one that used to transport you from near the entrance of the park to over by the coal cracker) is long gone. That's the one I was talking about. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deguy123 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ^ I remember the old one was a nice way to get to the other side of the park.....the one station is still at the front of the park, the other was taken out when Great Bear was built I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ^ Don't be silly Beemer, they're going to rehab the Tomorrowland Speedway for "Cars." (This actually has been an ongoing rumor) I believe that 1 million dollar estimate per mile of track was for back in the 70's. Can you imagine what it would cost now? Yeah, I know about the Speedway rumor thing. I'm just trying my best to not think about it actually happening. And the million dollar estimate....yeah, I really should've eaten breakfast this morning, huh? Clearly I wasn't thinking straight since that number would make no sense by today's standards. Regardless, it's not something the company would be needing a loan for. If it cost them 200 million, it'd still be worth it by my estimation. Hmmm, it is too late to hold a garage sale for M:S? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Hey I love the monorail. I'm all for them extending it. I haven't been on M:S so, I cannot comment on that yet. Give another 5 weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electerik Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Perhaps this is overly semantic, but I don't think it's a question of why transport rides have been taken out. Change, closure, and ride replacement are natural and even desirable for a growing park. The real question is: Why are so few new transportation rides being built? I suspect the answer is simply that most park patrons don't care about them, and the parks know it. Imagine this question (for example) on a survey: Which of the following attractions should we add next year? a.) a new rollercoaster b.) a water ride c.) a play area for kids d.) a train ride around the park e.) a pizza and ice cream buffet Of course, in my opinion, an aggressive campaign of giving people what they say they want leads parks on an Atkins-like, coasters-only diet that can only be maintained for so long before disease sets in. Erik Allen Elness Holiday World needs a Skyride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hercules Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I'm surprised that there isn't a higher demand by park patrons for transportation rides just considering the sheer laziness of the population here in the United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 If it cost them 200 million, it'd still be worth it by my estimation. are you suggesting it would be a wise investment to drop $200M on a ride that would not bring people into the park? c'mon! Their stupid "This is the 25th anniversary for the resurfacing of the Magic Kingdom so we are going to celebrate it all year long" sort of crap they do every year is about as effective and much cheaper A good park should have a steam locomotive... BGW is a good park, as is Dollywood. Stupid SFOG. Oh and there has been a new transportation ride to open this year.. hello Driving Machines btw people mover == best ride at MK. Don't hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingScooter Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 As far as ski Lift-type transports/rides, it may have been insurance reasons, but i find that hard to believe. Your average ski resort doesn't pull in half the money a theme park does, yet they still run lifts and make a profit. Maintenance could be a problem, but again, ski lifts make it through the worst weather imaginable and hardly ever break down. In Ohio, the ski lifts don't even have lap bars to hold you in. You just sit there. When they hit the panic break, it always feels like you're gonna get tossed right out of it. I like trains. i remember the one GL had. It wasn't the greatest, but it was still fun. IMO, best train out there is at DollyWood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 ^^ Joe, there was some slight exaggerated sarcasm there. Sort of like me saying GT will win by 24 this weekend. But hey, if I were in charge, you better believe you'd be seeing more monorail track before the end of the year. Why? Well, because we all know that's really the best ride at WDW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvcoasterguy Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I love the skyride at Adventureland, in Iowa. It is still used for transport, and one-way rides are only allowed. (Unless you get in the line, again, at the other side). It is surrounded by huge trees, goes directly over the log flume, and has a great view of the park. By far the most relaxing and enjoyable rides I have ever been on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 It always comes down to money. Steam locomotives need to have their boilers replaced every few years. They also require licensed boiler operators and for a seasonal park that's really hard to staff. It requires a lot of personnel to operate a railroad, and they are subject to lawsuits when people fall out of them stupidly, twist their ankles on the tracks, etc. Monorails are no longer being manufactured, so parts need to be custom made and cost a fortune. Skyrides are subject to closure due to wind and weather, and require a lot of maintenance and personnel to operate. Besides the cost of maintenance for these transportation rides which is sizable, it also is a case of people riding a train, monorail or skyride are going past the shops, games and restaurants in a park without spending money. If they walk past those things, they are likely to spend money. The games, food and merchandise are where the parks make the money--not admissions. Admissions generally have to cover the cost of the ride operations and staffing, so if a park want to make money they need to get the guests on the streets and spending the money. Gliding by on a transportation ride only costs the park money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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